Babiak

John Carroll is enjoying its most successful wrestling season in recent years, and two of the reasons are senior Greg Stotler and junior Mike Babiak.Opposing teams know they had better have a sizable lead going to the last two weight classes, because Babiak is 13-0 at 189 pounds and heavyweight Stotler is 17-1."

McDonogh heavyweight J.R. Plienis, ranked No. 2 in the nation, DeMatha's Todd Beckerman and Southern-AA's three-time 1A-2A champ Tyrone Neal were most impressive in last night's Senior All-Star Wrestling Classic at Johns Hopkins University.Plienis, who like Beckerman is headed to the University of Nebraska, had his closest in-state bout, taking a 5-3 decision over Beall's Jason Swisher (29-2)."I'm disappointed with the way I wrestled, but he really didn't come to me," said Plienis, who subsequently improved to 30-0 by decking Westlake's state runner-up John Chisolm in 1: 58.Beckerman, the nation's No. 1 125-pounder who lives in Crofton, improved to 207-1 for his career with a 19-8 decision of Liberty's ++ Kevin Jeffress.

As indefinable as he finds his methods, the wrestling attack of John Carroll's sixth-ranked senior Mike Babiak has produced optimum results: He has seven pins in as many bouts this season, with not one having lasted into the third period."

Though Mount St. Joseph failed to defend its private schools state crown Saturday, being dethroned, 229.5-225, by DeMatha of Prince George's County, eight area wrestlers won their title bouts in the second annual championship at Bullis Prep in Montgomery County.Mount St. Joseph's No. 1 Tyran Dungee (160 pounds, 28-2) repeated as champ, nailing his 18th fall in just 40 seconds against St. Paul's Mike Kernan. But Dungee was the No. 2 Gaels' lone winner among five finalists.Other local champs were Boys' Latin's Jason Leneau (152, 14-0)

Unbeaten Boys' Latin won six straight bouts in the lower weights and went on to a 42-25 victory in a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Division match at John Carroll yesterday.It was the third win for Boys' Latin and dropped John Carroll's record to 6-2.Mike Babiak, a John Carroll junior, who had compiled a 13-0 record at 189 while weighing around 175, won the feature pairing, as he got down to 171, and scored a 9-5 triumph over Erik Fitez.Fitez (11-2), a winner at 171 in John Carroll's pre-Christmas tournament, came back at that weight, although he was up a class from his normal 160 where he is ranked No. 5 in the state.

McDonogh heavyweight J.R. Plienis, ranked No. 2 in the nation, DeMatha's Todd Beckerman and Southern-AA's three-time 1A-2A champ Tyrone Neal were most impressive in last night's Senior All-Star Wrestling Classic at Johns Hopkins University.Plienis, who like Beckerman is headed to the University of Nebraska, had his closest in-state bout, taking a 5-3 decision over Beall's Jason Swisher (29-2)."I'm disappointed with the way I wrestled, but he really didn't come to me," said Plienis, who subsequently improved to 30-0 by decking Westlake's state runner-up John Chisolm in 1: 58.Beckerman, the nation's No. 1 125-pounder who lives in Crofton, improved to 207-1 for his career with a 19-8 decision of Liberty's ++ Kevin Jeffress.

Though Mount St. Joseph failed to defend its private schools state crown Saturday, being dethroned, 229.5-225, by DeMatha of Prince George's County, eight area wrestlers won their title bouts in the second annual championship at Bullis Prep in Montgomery County.Mount St. Joseph's No. 1 Tyran Dungee (160 pounds, 28-2) repeated as champ, nailing his 18th fall in just 40 seconds against St. Paul's Mike Kernan. But Dungee was the No. 2 Gaels' lone winner among five finalists.Other local champs were Boys' Latin's Jason Leneau (152, 14-0)

John Carroll, the defending county champion, got an early lesson in humility this season, then bounced back to flatten the opposition en route to a share of the county title in boys volleyball.The Patriots, stung by a league-opening loss to Fallston, claimed their share of the championship with C. Milton Wright by defeating the Mustangs, 15-2, 15-5.Each finished the season 7-1 in the league, followed by Bel Air (6-2), Fallston (6-2), Edgewood (4-4), North Harford (3-5), Harford Tech (2-6)

Mount St. Joseph placed nine wrestlers in the top four and had five finalists in last night's private schools state tournament at Bullis Prep in Montgomery County.However, only one finalist, repeat champ Tyran Dungee (160 pounds, 28-2), was victorious, as DeMatha of Prince George's County dethroned the Gaels, 229.5-225.Dungee planted St. Paul's Mike Kernan in 40 seconds of their title bout and earlier scored a technical fall, a 12-3 decision and a third-period pin.Three of his teammates lost title bouts by a combined five points, and another, Ben Dyer, by injury default.

Aberdeen once again proved to be an impolite host, as three individual champions helped the Eagles win a fifth team title in its eighth annual invitational wrestling tournament yesterday.Freshman James Axel, a 112-pounder, the first of six Aberdeen wrestlers in the championship round, got his team started, and seniors DeWayne Whitley and Kit Doran later repeated as titlists.Aberdeen totaled 172 points, followed by Chesapeake-AA 138 1/2 ; Archbishop Curley 131; Dulaney 122; John Carroll 93; Towson 80; Harford Tech 24.Senior Matt Howard of Chesapeake, runner-up for a second straight year, produced the only upset of the title round when he decisioned previously unbeaten Corey Pascuzzi of Aberdeen, 7-4, at 125 pounds.

Mount St. Joseph placed nine wrestlers in the top four and had five finalists in last night's private schools state tournament at Bullis Prep in Montgomery County.However, only one finalist, repeat champ Tyran Dungee (160 pounds, 28-2), was victorious, as DeMatha of Prince George's County dethroned the Gaels, 229.5-225.Dungee planted St. Paul's Mike Kernan in 40 seconds of their title bout and earlier scored a technical fall, a 12-3 decision and a third-period pin.Three of his teammates lost title bouts by a combined five points, and another, Ben Dyer, by injury default.

As indefinable as he finds his methods, the wrestling attack of John Carroll's sixth-ranked senior Mike Babiak has produced optimum results: He has seven pins in as many bouts this season, with not one having lasted into the third period."

Aberdeen will be after its 12th consecutive Harford County League championship in February, and probably by then coach Dick Slutzky's team will have developed to a point where the race will, once again, be for second place.Senior Kevin Carter (103 pounds), a county champion last year, and sophomore James Axel (112), a county runner-up, are top returnees for the Eagles, but it is the newcomers who have Slutzky excited."It's an excellent group, but very young. They may take awhile to develop," he said.

John Carroll is enjoying its most successful wrestling season in recent years, and two of the reasons are senior Greg Stotler and junior Mike Babiak.Opposing teams know they had better have a sizable lead going to the last two weight classes, because Babiak is 13-0 at 189 pounds and heavyweight Stotler is 17-1."

Unbeaten Boys' Latin won six straight bouts in the lower weights and went on to a 42-25 victory in a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Division match at John Carroll yesterday.It was the third win for Boys' Latin and dropped John Carroll's record to 6-2.Mike Babiak, a John Carroll junior, who had compiled a 13-0 record at 189 while weighing around 175, won the feature pairing, as he got down to 171, and scored a 9-5 triumph over Erik Fitez.Fitez (11-2), a winner at 171 in John Carroll's pre-Christmas tournament, came back at that weight, although he was up a class from his normal 160 where he is ranked No. 5 in the state.

Aberdeen once again proved to be an impolite host, as three individual champions helped the Eagles win a fifth team title in its eighth annual invitational wrestling tournament yesterday.Freshman James Axel, a 112-pounder, the first of six Aberdeen wrestlers in the championship round, got his team started, and seniors DeWayne Whitley and Kit Doran later repeated as titlists.Aberdeen totaled 172 points, followed by Chesapeake-AA 138 1/2 ; Archbishop Curley 131; Dulaney 122; John Carroll 93; Towson 80; Harford Tech 24.Senior Matt Howard of Chesapeake, runner-up for a second straight year, produced the only upset of the title round when he decisioned previously unbeaten Corey Pascuzzi of Aberdeen, 7-4, at 125 pounds.

Aberdeen will be after its 12th consecutive Harford County League championship in February, and probably by then coach Dick Slutzky's team will have developed to a point where the race will, once again, be for second place.Senior Kevin Carter (103 pounds), a county champion last year, and sophomore James Axel (112), a county runner-up, are top returnees for the Eagles, but it is the newcomers who have Slutzky excited."It's an excellent group, but very young. They may take awhile to develop," he said.

John Carroll, the defending county champion, got an early lesson in humility this season, then bounced back to flatten the opposition en route to a share of the county title in boys volleyball.The Patriots, stung by a league-opening loss to Fallston, claimed their share of the championship with C. Milton Wright by defeating the Mustangs, 15-2, 15-5.Each finished the season 7-1 in the league, followed by Bel Air (6-2), Fallston (6-2), Edgewood (4-4), North Harford (3-5), Harford Tech (2-6)